Matchroom Prizefighter tournament suffers huge blow

THE latest instalment of Matchroom’s Prizefighter tournament could be over before it’s completion.

On January 31, it was announced that the three-round format would return but this time in Japan. At the Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith said, “This is a fantastic way to start our landmark three-year deal in Japan.”

Having taken their business into other countries Matchroom had hoped to do something similar in Asia.

Eight middleweight competitors came together for the quarter-final stage on July 15 four months after its original date. Inside the Yamato Arena in Osake there were wins for Kieron Conway, Aaron McKenna, Kazuto Takesako and Riku Kunimoto. Whoever went on to win the competition overall would pocket $1 million.

In recent weeks there have been murmurs that the tournament would not continue. Conway, who was to face McKenna in the semi-finals, returns to the ring on November 30 when he takes on Ryan Kelly for the Commonwealth middleweight title.

Today (November 1) Boxing News caught up with Frank Smith to ask him for an update on the tournament.

“It’s an ongoing situation, a legal matter that will carry on,” he answered.

“Unfortunately, right now, it doesn’t look like the tournament’s not gonna happen. As soon as we’ve got more news we’ll be able to talk about it but it’s an ongoing matter right now.

Smith described the situation as “very frustrating” but shared little else on the matter.

“They all got very well paid for the first fight but the aim wasn’t to just go there for one show. We worked very hard to try and get new things over the line, to grow the sport, to build the business. [It’s] one of those things that we have to see play out.”